


Copy-Paste

by nerdypipsqueak



Series: Fictober 2019 [28]
Category: Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fictober 2019, M/M, Slice of Life, University
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-13 00:55:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21235454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdypipsqueak/pseuds/nerdypipsqueak
Summary: Fictober prompt: Enough! I heard enough.Set in the "Princess and the Knight" universe.This is another idea that didn't make it into the main story: it's the last day of finals and Lawrence has to deal with some stupidity and bad decisions.PS. Spot the Doctor Who reference.





	Copy-Paste

Lawrence loves finals. He loves witnessing all the hard work his students have put into their essays and their exams, he loves giving them good marks. He loves that surge of almost fatherly pride he gets when they come back to tell him they qualified for scholarships or internships. Sometimes they bring him thank you cards. He keeps and cherishes every single one.

Lawrence also hates finals. 

Why? Because of people like Mr Wyatt.

Mr Wyatt's been the bane of Lawrence's existence all year long. "Ur" spelled with a double "R", Alladin instead of Enlil, skipping classes, handing his essays in late, you name it, Mr Wyatt has done it. 

And now he's completely and utterly embarrassing himself in front of Lawrence.

"Mr Wyatt, enough. I've heard enough." Lawrence finally interrupts him. "The Twelve Labors of Heracles are basic primary school knowledge and you can't even name six. In this case I cannot in good conscience give you a pass grade. This exam is over."

Mr Wyatt leaves in a muttered "my father will hear about this". At this point Lawrence doesn't have it in him to argue, he's tired and all he can think of is Ali who by now is probably waiting outside the main gate, hopefully with a large caramel iced latte in hand.

The classroom door creaks open and the dean slips inside. "Doctor Lawrence, do you have a minute?"

"Is it urgent?" 

"I'd say it is. Could you please come to my office?"

"Doctor Richards, Doctor Lawrence, Miss Atkins." The dean sits at his desk and starts leafing through the nearest stack of papers. "Now that we're all here let's begin... Ah, there it is."

He selects a paper and pushes it across the surface of the desk towards Miss Atkins. The girl, suddenly tearful, picks it up gingerly.

"Read it out loud please, starting from the highlighted fragment." The dean orders sternly. The girl shakes her head violently.

"You had the guts to hand it in, now have the guts to read it!" Vyvyan barks. Lawrence tries not to look at him, the memories of their past involvement are still fresh, he doesn't like revisiting them.

Finally, Miss Atkins draws a shaky breath and begins: "Why should the Normans be such inventors in military architecture? They..."

"Enough. I've heard enough." Lawrence sets his messenger bag on the floor and steps closer to the desk. "That is a word-for-word quote from my bachelor's thesis."

"I know, right?" Vyvyan replies. "And that's just the beginning. There's also an entire paragraph taken out of your thesis, another one taken from one of your articles, one from my article on motte and bailey castles, actually the only things Miss Atkins wrote herself were the opening and closing paragraphs. The rest is mix and match."

"Why?" Lawrence crouches down beside Miss Atkins. "Why would you do such a stupid thing? You know the consequences. I talk about this all the time, I'm sure Doctor Richards does too."

"I... I had so much to do!" Miss Atkins sobs. "All the tests and essays, everyone, all the professors insisted on doing both. And I have a job and I have to help out at home too, I just couldn't cope! I thought no one would notice."

"Ha!" Vyvyan snorts. 

"Unbelievable." Lawrence shakes his head. "I am beyond shocked, Miss Atkins. Why didn't you come and talk to me? I would have given you an extended deadline. All you had to do was ask."

Miss Atkins doesn't say anything, she's crying so hard she's not capable of speech and Lawrence realises that she probably hasn't even heard him.

"What would you like to do about this... issue?" The dean looks up from his papers.

"The rules are clear." Vyvyan says coldly. "I really don't see why the university should be lenient in this case."

"Doctor Lawrence?"

"I have to agree with Doctor Richards. This isn't a case of a missing quotation mark."

"Alright then. I shall proceed to have Miss Atkins expelled. Thank you very much gentlemen."

"How was the last day of finals?" Ali asks between kisses to Lawrence's cheeks and mouth.

"I'm done, I've had enough. Can't wait to go back to Jordan."

"Just a few more weeks to go, princess. How about we go get some lunch now?"

"Oh yes please!"

"Allons-y then."

**Author's Note:**

> The quote read by Miss Atkins is an actual quote from Lawrence's bachelor thesis. Only it's not from the "main body" of the thesis, it's part of a snarky little footnote Lawrence wrote regarding a correction made by his mentor.  
The thesis is published and there is an edition that includes all the snarky footnotes, they're absolutely delightful!


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